Al Wahah Building

The site is in a prime location close to the city centre. The site is 4480sq.m and facing a busy street. The brief is to design a mixed use building with retail activity accommodated on the Ground and First Floor. From the Second to the Tenth floor, the building will accommodate an Office space and a multi-storey hotel. The building has great potential to become a landmark in the area, due to its strategic position, the historic context and the mix of uses. The design should reflect the rejuvenation of the city.

Design Development

The concept of the project based on the type of tree, widely seen in Tripoli -The Palm Tree. The Palm Tree is symbolising victory and triumph. Humans’ use of palms trees is as old as the human civilisation.

The texture of the palm tree has been used to define the plan and elevations of the building. The organic shape creates a more harmonious form, the connections in between the spaces are more fluid and the design is elegant and comfortable. Smaller Palm Trees shapes are shading the facade.

The design of the building has allowed the division of the uses by a void separation. A Waterwall has been added in order to create visual privacy between the hotel and the office area.

All hotel rooms have been placed on the perimeter of the building. The office areas are open plan with the flexibility to be adopted and designed by the end users. The reception of the hotel is part of the ground floor retail area, inspired by the hotel design in the States.

The concept of the main entrance is the outline of a family coming together. After the recent troubles in Tripoli where the building got burnt, a re-union family concept symbolises the past and look forward to a more prominent future.